[2] Designed by Blaise Ollivier and built by him until his death in October 1746, then completed by Luc Coulomb, her keel was laid down at Brest on 14 November 1745 towards the end of the War of the Austrian Succession and she was launched on 24 March 1747.

[3] Without being standardized, dozens of French 74-gun ships were based on these norms right up until the start of the 19th century, slowly evolving to match new shipbuilding technologies and the wishes of naval tacticians and strategists.

Intrépide fought at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre on 25 October 1747, forming part of Henri-François des Herbiers's division, which also included the admiral's flagship the 80-gun Tonnant, the 74-gun Monarque and Terrible, four 56-to-68 gun ships and a 26-gun frigate.

In 1756 Intrépide was put under the command of Guy François de Kersaint and made the flagship of a fleet charged with capturing all British ships operating off the coast of Guinea.

She took part in the Battle of Les Cardinaux on 20 November that year under the command of Charles Le Mercerel de Chasteloger, joining Soleil-Royal in her attack on the British flagship HMS Royal George.